PHOENIX—An appeals court has issued a ruling that upholds the right of authorities to prosecute pot smokers in Arizona for driving under the influence even when there is no evidence that they are actually high.

The ruling by the Court of Appeals focuses on the chemical compounds in marijuana that show up in blood and urine tests after people smoke pot. One chemical compound causes drivers to be impaired; another is a chemical that stays in people's systems for weeks after they've smoked marijuana but doesn't affect impairment.

As marijuana “pot” smokers gather beneath Seattle’s Space Needle to celebrate the fact that the drug was legalized in the state of Washington, the DEA continues to warn youth that legalization doesn’t make something “right” or good for you. According to the DEA, when marijuana is smoked the drug THC moves into the user’s lungs and then into their bloodstream, where it is then moved into all the organs in the body, including the brain.

"The concern with marijuana is not born out of any culture-war mentality, but out of what the science tells us about the drug’s effects.

And the science, though still evolving, is clear: marijuana use is harmful. It is associated with dependence, respiratory and mental illness, poor motor performance, and cognitive impairment, among other negative effects.

General Cannabis Inc., the company that owns Weedmaps.com, purchased Marijuana.com for $4.20 million dollars! Rumor has it the agreement was signed by both parties at 4:20pm! For those who are not in the loop, Weedmaps.com is an extremely popular website amongst pot smokers to locate dispensaries and marijuana deals around their vicinity. The acquisition is very strategic, and I think this will re-affirm their position as the authority in the medical marijuana industry.

New legislation in Washington state went into effect this week that legalizes for the first time in ages the possession of marijuana. Federal law still says otherwise, though, setting up the Justice Department to make some serious determinations. Even as smoking up became protected by state law in Washington starting Thursday, coast-to-coast prohibition as provided by a long-standing federal ruling remains on the books. For marijuana advocates in the Pacific Northwest, the lifting of the ban is a pretty big victory.

Nearly 7 percent of Americans ages 12 and older used marijuana in 2010 -- an increase of 3 million from about 10 years ago, according to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health. And where these smokers are located will be even more surprising to you: California -- the birthplace of medical marijuana -- is only the 10th most stoned state.